JEBSEN & JESSEN (SEA) APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN

Singapore, 1 November 2011 –Mr Alexander (Alex) Chan Meng Wah, has joined Jebsen & Jessen (SEA) as executive vice chairman. Assuming overall responsibility of the leading industrial enterprise’s business infrastructure, he will take over the responsibilities of executive vice chairman Mr Heine Askaer-Jensen who will be retiring at the end of the year.

As executive vice chairman, Mr Chan will join Mr Heinrich Jessen, chairman, and Mr Fritz von der Schulenburg, executive vice chairman, on the executive board of the group. The executive board is responsible for the overall management of Jebsen & Jessen (SEA) and its eight regional business units which span across South East Asia. 

Mr Chan, 58, has a wealth of executive experience, having led reputable organisations including Hewlett-Packard, Yeo Hiap Seng and MMI Holdings.

Prior to this appointment, he was at MMI Holdings, where he served as executive director and was part of an executive team recognised for leading the SGX-listed company through a significant decade of growth. He also served as the executive director of Far East Organisation and concurrently managed the Yeo Hiap Seng member group as managing director & CEO.

“Alex Chan’s tremendous leadership experience and success, coupled with his calm authority and personality, will be a key asset to our executive team.” said Mr Heinrich Jessen. “He is an ideal strategic partner with whom we can evaluate the steady stream of business opportunities. He is also a solid executive who is robustly equipped to ensure that our shared services platform is kept smart, risk-ready, cost-effective, and well-oiled for our double-in-five-years growth programme.”

Mr Chan began his career in Hewlett-Packard as a production engineer, and held various positions in finance, accounting, sales and marketing, as well as IT systems divisions. At the age of 38, he assumed the role of managing director of Hewlett-Packard Singapore and Hewlett-Packard South-East Asia.

He currently serves as an independent director at publicly-listed companies MFS Technology and Spindex Industries. Mr Chan previously held board positions in a number of Singapore-based technology companies and government-linked institutions, including the Economic Development Board, Central Provident Fund Board, CISCO Security, SNP Corporation, Defence Science & Technology Agency, Singapore National Employers Federation and Singapore Sports Council. He was awarded the Singapore Business Award for Outstanding Manager in 1994.

An active national serviceman, Mr Chan retired as a colonel from the Singapore Armed Forces and served as a Nominated Member of Parliament from 2005 to 2007. He holds an MBA from University of California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor's Degree with First Class Honours in Electrical Engineering from the then University of Singapore. A renowned swimmer, he won several regional awards as a member of the Singapore national swimming team in the 1970s.

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